Artists from seven countries to participate in J.S. Bach International Festival, 2018 issue, in Moldova

Chisinau, 21 April /MOLDPRES/ - Artists from Moldova, Romania, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia and Ukraine will participate in the eighth issue of the J.S. Bach International Festival, due to be held at the Chisinau-based Organ Hall on 24-30 April.    

Contacted by MOLDPRES, the director of the Organ Hall, Larisa Zubcu, has said that the event was aimed at promoting works of Bach, which, at the Festival, are interpreted by well-known artists of Moldova and from abroad. “The festival has a high artistic level. Conductor and cello player Cristian Florea knows the works of Bach very well. He cooperated much with the Austrian conductor, musicologist, cello player Nikolaus Harnoncourt, specialist in the documentary and historical interpretation of Bach’s works and continues this tradition now,” Larisa Zubcu.          

The opening of the Festival will take place on 24 April, at 18:00, with a recital given by world famous piano player Eduard Kunz (Russia). He will present a programme with works by J.S. Bach, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Franz Liszt.   

The festival will continue on 26 April at 18:00, with a programme, Bach Beyond, offered by Signum Saxophone Quartet from Germany. The concert fits into the festival’s tradition to present Bach’s music either through the light of other genres, such as jazz, rock, etc. or through arrangements for some instruments which did not exist in the times of the great composer. It is about the saxophone in the case of the Signum band.  

According to the organizers, a Bach Festival cannot be conceived without the organ music. Thus, on 28 April, at 18:00, a well-known organist, professor at the Frederic Chopin University of Music from Poland Jan Bokszczanin will give a traditional organ recital. Participating in the concert will also be cello player Cristian Florea (Romania/Germany) and flute player Ion Negura junior, who will sing a duet with the Polish organist. The programme includes works by J.S. Bach, Francois Couperin, Eduard Khagagortian, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Flor Peeters and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.      

The festival will end on 30 April, at 18:00, with a vocal and symphony concert presented by the National Chamber Orchestra, led by Ilona Stepan. Vocal soloists of the National Opera artists are Ana Cernicova (soprano), Ghiulnara Raileanu (soprano), Lilia Istratii (mezzo-soprano), Victor Novitchi (tenor) and Alexei Digore (baritone). A group of wind instrumentalists from Ukraine will participate as guests.   

The event is organized by the Organ Hall and the J.S. Bach Cultural Foundation.

(Reporter N. Roibu, editor L. Alcaza)